It’s no secret that the world of telecommunications is changing. With the introduction of new technologies, old ways are being phased out as quickly as they were made. One example is how networking technology has changed with the rise in popularity of wifi and cellular networks. However, some may be surprised to know that there still exists an analog network that provides service to over one hundred million people each day: The telephone system.
The telephone system still in use worldwide is the result of an 1878 invention by Alexander Graham Bell. According to this video, there are four main components that make up a telecommunication network: User terminals (cell phones and landlines), transmission media, switching facilities, and signaling systems. These networks are simple but effective because they’re scalable enough to support over one hundred million users on any given day.
One benefit of these analog networks is their inherent security measures against cyber threats such as hacking or malware viruses. Unlike other digital communications networks where all data must be carried digitally along with its own pathway information for delivery at the receiving end, signals transmitted through analog communication channels take advantage of existing pathways which means only small portions.
